Monday, August 30, 2010

On Helping the Community Be Brought Back to Life

Monday, October 8, 2007
My bedroom
4:51 AM
CADTAY, KAPANGAN-- K4 student nurses usher the community folks inside the staff house for the sitio class after registering and having their blood pressure taken during one of the outreach programs of the school.
      The aims of Community Service Involvement has now come to rise as the BSN III-K group of Ma’am Sheila May Jimeno (K3&K4) and Ma’am Lalaine Melissa Jimenez (K1&K2) joined efforts to render their utmost service to the Kapangan (Cadtay) community and its residents. Carrying their will and knowledge on community skills, the group started making their way to their assigned places. To cut it short, the best part of it all was when satisfaction was seen in the faces of the students as their hearts swelled with joy due to the exotic places and mini-forests they saw as they passed by. It was also overwhelming as a rush of warmth surpassed their hearts when they saw satisfaction and gratitude on the eager faces of the community folks.
     Community service really exemplifies the real meaning of helping and being a true Louisian. I however could prove that this as a part of our duty hours in Related Learning Experience had really proved I am a true Louisian. Despite the fact that I may lack the skills and talent to be considered one of the greatest achievers of Saint Louis University or my group for instance, I’ve learned from this activity how to establish rapport between the community and myself. This said activity taught me how to deal with the people concerned and treat the residents equally and with utmost care. This exposure also changed my principle towards life on the way I should treat my fellowmen. Beforehand, I used to think that only the poor should be given service as rather than helping the rich and the mighty. Thus, the four criteria of Community Service include the depressed, oppressed, poor, and the exploited (also known as DOPE). This knowledge pushed me to further understand the true meaning of service in the community being a nursing student at that.
On our way for home visits...
      A transformation within me through the value and meaning of community service leads me to be a better person as a dedicated nurse in the future. The value of helping other people especially the DOPE quantifies how a future nurse could deal with her recommended service apostolates and the community and people she is about to educate or help.
      The transformation on me itself could start building up solutions to our current problems in the community, thus bringing it back to life. If a community had slept for years and never realized or conceptualized anything to improve their hometown, this so called community service could help restore the residents’ passion to help Mother Nature and move to greater heights. Through sitio classes and health teachings or other activities, residents would be able to realize their strengths and weaknesses as a community and thus strive for the better with regards to health, education, and modernization. A clean-up drive activity, for instance could be able to inspire other people in the community to do the same and follow. Again, transformation or change comes about when the community of people cooperates to lead a life full of clean and green surroundings and a conscience clean and free of guilt. This I also learned and had changed into since the time we started doing the activity until the time we were done about it.
One of our home visits with Lola Acop
      The activity proved us something and gave us the greatest lesson to learn from. I learned to deal with the residents’ complaints, suggestions and appraise about how we worked. The transformation in me was great, as I became a better person that will lead to a better nurse and health educator when the time comes. Being a Louisian at that, I as a nursing student should now learn to think of the service I would be rendering to my clients and to any community our outreach programs would reach with the depressed, oppressed, poor, and exploited instilled in my mind together with the will to serve and tender, loving care kept in mind.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Katuwiran

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sa sala ng aming bahay
8:27 PM
Sagada sunrise
        Isang umagang pagkagising ay dumungaw ako sa may bintana ng aming bahay.Bigla nalang ang aking pagkagulat nang dumampi sa aking pisngi ang hanging wari ay nanghahalik. Masarap ang simoy ng hangin. Si amang araw ay nagsisimula palang manilip mula sa mga kabundukan. Ang ganda ng tanawin na aking pinagmamasdan. Ang mga punong iwinawagayway ang mga dahon at sanga, mga bulaklak na nagsisimula palang mamukadkad, isang ibong humuhuni na wari isang kanta—lahat ng ito’y aking nasaksihan isang umagang pagkagising ko. Pakiwari ko’y isa itong panaginip.
       Bumangon na ako sa aking malambot na kama at ako’y naghilamos. Habang naghihilamos ako’y napatingin ako sa tubig na gamit ko sa paaghilamos. Nakita ko ang isang mukhang kaaya-aya. Isang mukhang di ko na nakilala. Ako nga ba talaga ito? Maraming mga pagbabago sa mga nagdaang dalawang taong pamamalagi ko dito sa Baguio City. Minsan pa’y di ko na napapansin ang mga nangyayari sa bayan kong sinilangan. Minsan nga’y nakatulala nalang ako sa hangin at napapaisip ng malalim. Ito ba ang epekto ng pag-aaral sa Saint Louis University? Tuluyan na akong nalunod sa aking pagbabalik tanaw sa mga nagda-ang taon.
Taking a pose after a hectic duty...
Nag-eenrol palang ako ay nagulat ako sa mga security guards na animo’y mga jail warden sa pagbantay ng mga labas-masok na estudyante. Nakakailang na rin yung mga building na nag aanimo’y skyscrapers sa taas. Muli akong nawindang sa proseso ng enrolment dito sa may nursing department. Minsan nga’y napaisip ako. Wala bang elevator o escalator man lang? Pagkatapos, mahaba na nga yung pila, palipat-lipat ka pa ng building. Pagod ka na’t lahat, may mga iba pa sa mga admissions committee, sinusungitan ka. Tama bang pagalitan ka’t lahat kung mag-isa ka lang at ikaw ang huling mag-enrol? Tama bang sungitan ka kahit wala kang ginagawang masama? Ito pang mga ibang mag-aaral, akala mo kung sinong magaling. Porke ba’t mayaman sila’t sobra ang katalinuhan, puwede nang makisingit sa pila? Sila pa ang may ganang magalit kung yung mga nasa likod nila, sisingit din sa harap?! Makatwiran ba naman? Makatwiran din ba naman na singitan mo rin yung mga naningit sa iyo? Hindi ba’t mas maayos kung pakiusapan mo nalang yung mga sumingit na sa likod pa yung tapos ng pila? Eh, wala ka rin namang magagawa kung titignan ka mula ulo hanggang paa ni Ms. Sumingit pagkatapos sasabihin sa iyo, “So?” Sino din ba naman ang hindi sisingit kung ganun nang ganun ang mga estudyante di ba?
Hay naku, pag minamalas ka nga naman… Ikaw itong nauna sa pila, ikaw pa ang mawawalan ng slot sa enrolment… Kinabukasan pa’y inabot ka ng cut-off sa accounting office… Hay naku… Eh ikaw naman kasi. Nagpasingit ka pa… At kahit hindi naman kasi ikaw, bakit ka kasi natatahimik… Eh kung nahihiya ba naman kasi yung taong magsabi ng nasa isipan, mapipilit mo pa kaya? Hay… yan tuloy, late ka na mag-enrol… Sa medical at physical examinations din naman, mahirap eh… Ikaw na nga itong pinapalpate (palpation nga ba o nanantsing lang?), susungitan ka pa ng mga nasa clinic… hmmm… Bakit ba lahat na lang sila parang lahat ng ginagawa mo eh mali… nabibigyan ka nga ng advice, pagalit pa… Puwede namang sabihin ng maayos di ba? Yun bang therapeutic communication ang gamitin… Aba, eh di, sana maisip nila yung love and care… Hindi ko alam kung ang mga ito ay tinuturo noon sa mga paaralan at bakit ngayon parang galit lahat ang mga nakakasalamuha mo sa paaralan.. Well, ano pa nga ba magagawa mo kung talagang ganyan ang buhay—napakaunfair.
Ito na nga ang mga naranasan ko tuwing enrolment dito sa SLU. Nasabi ko tuloy, parang lahat yata pala ng karanasan ko, ang sasama lahat…
K4 BIGTIME!!!

Yun nga lang parang wala lang dahil sa mga kaibigang animo’y linta na nakakapit sa ‘yo kahit anong mangyari. Ganito talaga ako. Akala ng ibang tao wala akong kaproble-problema dahil sa lagi akong masaya. Akala nila, sa maamo at masayahin kong mukha ay wala akong kahit isang problema. Well, mali sila. Di nila alam na sa likod ng mga ngiti at pagkamasayahin ko, sobra-sobra ang pasaning dinadala ko sa bigat ng aking mga problema. Minsan sa kadahilanang wala na akong magawa, itinatawa ko nalang ang mga ito at ipagpatuloy mabuhay. Sa mga pagkakataong iyon, nakikita ako ng mga kaibigan ko kaya nasasabi nilang wala akong mga problema. Di nila alintana na sa mga pagkakatong iyon, naninikip ang aking dibdib at nanunudyong tumulo ang aking mga luha sa sakit na dulot ng mundo.
Gayunpaman, atleast may mga taong masasabi mong nagmamahal sa iyo. Andiyan si Mama, na kahit nakakainis dahil napakaoverprotective nito at laging tinatanong kung saan ako, anong ginagawa ko, kumusta ang grades ko, eto at naniniwala pa rin akong ganito ipakita ni Mama na mahal niya ako. Andyan din yung mga kapatid ko, na kahit lagi ko silang pinapagalitan, eh, eto parin at tinutulungan ako sa lahat ng bagay. Andyan yung mga kamag-anak ko, na kahit hindi kami masyadong close dun sa iba at sobrang taas ng expectations nila sa iyo, todo parin ang suporta sa akin. Andyan ang aking mga kaibigan, na kahit minsan mag-aaway kayo, eto parin at parang mga lintang kapit nang kapit sa iyo. Andyan yung mga teachers ko nung high school na kahit sakit ako sa ulo nung high school sa pagkapasaway, eto at lagi akong kinukumusta at binibigyang payo. Andyan din si Daddy, na kahit wala na sa mundong ito, naniniwala ako na lagi siyang nakabantay sa akin, lagi siyang nasa aking puso, isip at kaluluwa san man ako magpunta. At higit sa wakas, andyan si Lord, na kahit anong mangyari, alam kong andiyan siya para sa akin, pwedeng puntahan pag may problema man o wala.
God's loving arms are upon us all...
Hay!!! Masyadong madrama ang buhay ko at heto’t pati na ako ay nagdadrama… nagiging korny tuloy ang kuwento ng buhay ko. Hay, sana naman bukas pagkagising ko, maging maganda ang kalalabasan. Isang bagong buhay... Isang bagong umaga...

Oedipus the King: An Analysis

Here's one of the projects we passed during our sophomore year in college. I just found it lying about while  I was  cleaning up my boxes of files. Yes, I've got boxes of them. I'm sentimental. I'm one of those sentimental types who picks up anything and pockets them after stumbling into them. Here's one I'd like to share with you... And there's more where that came from.

We were 'forced' to watch this play at the SLU Gym. I say 'forced' for we bought the tickets because it was a 10-plus point (I think) for us in our class standing. I was taking up nursing so I needed the additional points badly (tee-hee).


Oedipus the King

Synopsis:
 Oedipus the King unfolds as a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit. Throughout this mythic story of patricide and incest, Sophocles emphasizes the irony of a man determined to track down, expose, and punish an assassin, who turns out to be himself. As the play opens, the citizens of Thebes beg their king, Oedipus, to lift the plague that threatens to destroy the city. Oedipus has already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle to learn what to do.
On his return, Creon announces that the oracle instructs them to find the murderer of Laius, the king who ruled Thebes before Oedipus. The discovery and punishment of the murderer will end the plague. At once, Oedipus sets about to solve the murder. Summoned by the king, the blind prophet Tiresias at first refuses to speak, but finally accuses Oedipus himself of killing Laius. Oedipus mocks and rejects the prophet angrily, ordering him to leave, but not before Tiresias hints darkly of an incestuous marriage and a future of blindness, infamy, and wandering.
Another worry haunts Oedipus. As a young man, he learned from an oracle that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Fear of the prophecy drove him from his home in Corinth and brought him ultimately to Thebes. Again, Jocasta advises him not to worry about prophecies. Oedipus finds out from a messenger that Polybus, king of Corinth, Oedipus’ father, has died of old age. Jocasta rejoices—surely this is proof that the prophecy Oedipus heard is worthless. Still, Oedipus worries about fulfilling the prophecy with his mother, Merope, a concern Jocasta dismisses.
Overhearing, the messenger offers what he believes will be cheering news. Polybus and Merope are not Oedipus’ real parents. In fact, the messenger himself gave Oedipus to the royal couple when a shepherd offered him an abandoned baby from the house of Laius. Oedipus becomes determined to track down the shepherd and learn the truth of his birth. Suddenly terrified, Jocasta begs him to stop, and then runs off to the palace, wild with grief.
Confident that the worst he can hear is a tale of his lowly birth, Oedipus eagerly awaits the shepherd. At first the shepherd refuses to speak, but under threat of death he tells what he knows—Oedipus is actually the son of Laius and Jocasta. And so, despite his precautions, the prophecy that Oedipus dreaded has actually come true. Realizing that he has killed his father and married his mother, Oedipus is agonized by his fate.
Rushing into the palace, Oedipus finds that the queen has killed herself. Tortured, frenzied, Oedipus takes the pins from her gown and rakes out his eyes, so that he can no longer look upon the misery he has caused. Now blinded and disgraced, Oedipus begs Creon to kill him, but as the play concludes, he quietly submits to Creon’s leadership, and humbly awaits the oracle that will determine whether he will stay in Thebes or be cast out forever.

Reaction/Analysis:
               
          There is no doubt that the costumes of the presenters gave a big impact on the play because it was able to give the audience a glimpse of the medieval days where the setting took place, particularly in a Old Roman theme. We also were able to see that they used costumes that were made particularly for the actors and actresses in the play. Generally it was appropriately made to fit the theme of the story. But there is an exemption, we noticed that the hairstyles of some actors, on with a fancy hairdo, which is in today, was not that appropriate for the setting. It looked like an actor wearing rubber shoes in a Lord of the Rings movie.
           The producers were able to use the “smoke effect” which somehow gave an additional plus factor in the play, giving a spooky or somehow gave the audience a sense of excitement in the beginning of the play. They also used that thundering sound, showing the presence of the gods. But the background was like some wall giving no effect at all but a monotonous setting of the old Roman Empire. This was a turn off for the audience because they were hoping to see more than that because knowing that the production was not just some ordinary school play but professional actors and actresses were involved. Honestly the props for us were horrible! We felt that what we paid for was not worth it, and much of it was only paid for the professionals who acted in the play.
         In other aspects of the play like the lighting and the sounds, we can say that it was satisfactory. The stage also was lighted enough for us to see the presenters in the play and the sounds was also loud enough for us to hear properly what the actors and actresses were saying. But unfortunately, the message of the songs was not that understood because of some factors. These factors are; the chorus was overcrowded, and this caused too many voices which made it hard to hear. Another was that some actors cannot pronounce the words properly, maybe because of their inexperience in the field of acting.
         It was evident that most of the performers acting was exceptional. Like the performance of Ms. Amy Perez (as Jocasta) who was very striking. She really was able to pull it off and support the ill acting of Aj Dee (as Oedipus) who was not that efficient in portraying his role. It was really disappointing for the audience because as the main character, he should be the one who should have carried the whole play and make it interesting and exiting as possible for the viewers. Aj Dee’s pronunciation of words was terrible. It was like he was eating what he is saying, making it very hard for the audience to understand the story. The climax of the story was the part where Aj Dee should have shined, but sadly he was not able to pull it through.
         We congratulate the supporting actors who performed. Decenteceo as Creon, Orly de Dios as Priest/chorus leader, Felix Oyales as sheperd, Sol Brosio as the Corinthian messenger and the chorus members. And also Amy Peres and Aj Dee who was very good in tearing his clothes and making the young ladies scream for his undoubting good looks and muscular body structure. They really were exceptional actors who gave a very striking and very emotional, with feelings kind of performance, making the Oedipus the King one of the most memorable plays we have ever watched.


The Cast:

Ø  Oedipus -  The protagonist of Oedipus the King was played by the famous matinee idol Aj Dee. He was taken from the house of Laius as a baby and left in the mountains with his feet bound together. Oedipus was destined to sleep with his mother and kill his father. Knowing this fate, his parents abandoned him, and he was raised by a different family. However, Oedipus had no knowledge of this, and after hearing of his fate he left his parents in order not to hurt them. After many years, he discovers that he has done exactly what his fate had predicted, as he has found and married his mother by chance, and killed his father on the road without knowing who he was. His pursue for truth of his origin led him to his downfall and to a befalling incident which was a matter of life and death.
Ø  Jocasta -  Oedipus’s wife and mother, and Creon’s sister was played by the everblooming Amy Perez. Jocasta appears only in the final scenes of Oedipus the King. In her first words, she attempts to make peace between Oedipus and Creon, pleading with Oedipus not to banish Creon. She is comforting to her husband and calmly tries to urge him to reject Tiresias’s terrifying prophecies as false. She was previously married to Laius. Although she wants Thebes to get better, she does not want Oedipus to pursue the path he has taken in finding out why Thebes is plague-stricken, as she is scared that what the oracles predicted when Oedipus was born is true. Jocasta, up to this point, does not believe in the oracles, since she thought that her son had died and could not live to do what the oracles had proclaimed he would do.
Ø  Creon -  Acted out by Edwin Decenteceo, Oedipus’s brother-in-law, Creon  was accused by Oedipus of attempting to kill him and take his title. Creon also supported Tiresias, who predicted Oedipus' fate, so Oedipus resentments him even more. What Oedipus imagines to be Creon's murderous intentions, however, are discounted when it's revealed that Creon owns a third of Thebes but chooses not to rule.
Ø  Tiresias -  Tiresias (played by Mel Magno himself, the artistic director), the blind soothsayer of Thebes, appears in Oedipus the King. He predicts fate and can see the future. He is called on by Oedipus for advice, but when he reveals Oedipus' fate, the king gets angry, accuses him of conspiring with Creon to kill him and take his place as king, and tells him to leave.
Ø  Laios: Oedipus' father and Jocasta's first husband. It was his fate to be killed by his son, and therefore he tried to get rid of his newborn boy. However, his fate befell him when Oedipus (who never knew his true parents) got into a fight with Laius' party at a crossroads, and killed him.
Ø  Herdsman/Shepherd: Oedipus was given to the herdsman (Felix Oyales)  by Jocasta, who tried to get rid of her ill-fated child. This herdsman once grazed sheep in Mount Kithairon with the Corinthian, and had given Jocasta's child to him. Also, he was the only survivor of the fight between Oedipus and Lauis. He again appeared at the last part of the play to make out the entangled consequences.
Ø  Corinthian Messenger: Acted out by Sol Rosel Brioso, he was the man who brought news of Polybus' death and who asks Oedipus to rule Corinth. He also informs Oedipus that Merope and Polybus are not his real parents, and that he himself gave them the baby Oedipus, whom he'd received from a herdsman.
Ø  The priest or chorus leader: The priest that represents the people when they come to Oedipus to complain of the disasters that are befalling them and the city.
Ø  Chorus members-  Sometimes comically obtuse or fickle, sometimes perceptive, sometimes melodramatic, the Chorus reacts to the events onstage. They take part in breaking the monotony of some scenes depicted in the play. The members were composed of the following: Bien Barrameda, Adrian Suva, Leo Priscilla, Francis Barrameda, Bryan Ignacio, and Die-co Sanguyo.



 Sharing out:

         “All for one and one for all… That’s what friends are for…”
          Friends are forever cherished as they care for each other’s growth and perceptions in life. Respect begets respect and hard work begets success. This is a principle the group had in mind even before the play started. Our english class requires us to make a reaction paper about the stageplay directed by Mel Magno entitled Oedipus the King. The said activity entails a lot of work thus our group came up with a decision to divide the parts of the reaction paper among ourselves.
Composed of five members namely, Jayvee Magabo; Joshua Sepulchre; Lester John Leon; Pearl Joei Mayor; and Lexa Elaine Capuyan, the group knew that the work would be faster and easier if they divide the work among themselves. The group worked as one yet in their own way of thinking. The division of labor was also based on the group member’s capability, talents and skills. Although these said skills are not fully trained or developed, the activity could be a way of developing these hidden talents and skills.
Pearl Joei worked with the lessons learned in the play and the characters the group wanted best. She made a good deed on it as she has portrayed all our perceptions of the stageplay with just a flick of her pen and a finger on her computer keyboard. As talented as she is, the group decided to make her work on the lessons learned in the play since she could pick up scenes and analyze them thoroughly. She could be weird, a rakista to some, yet she stands to her own beliefs and could make the best out of everything.
 On the other hand, Jayvee made use of his story-telling powers through making a synopsis of the play. Jayvee could sometimes use his imagination to make up a story he could tell most of his friends with. Having the skill to summarize a long play or story is an amazing thing an individual could really have. Jayvee could be very imaginative at times but most of the time, his seriousness leads his thinking to a very creative story-telling session. This would be a reason why the group assigned him the summary of the play. He’s good at repeating stories or movies he read and watched, respectively. He deserves to be called the potion master for his talent although it would be better to call him by his real name.
 Joshua pursued his assignment of making a good reaction about the play. His constructive criticisms led to a good impression of his own self. He opened up comments about the play using his own method of describing it. Making a reaction out of everything and thinking critically is a difficult thing a person could learn. Joshua makes the most out of it when he judges things without hurting a soul. If there’s one person in this world who could criticize you without letting you get hurt, the name’s Joshua Sepulchre.
If the play had its artistic director in the name of Mel Magno, the group has its artistic illustrator, Lester “Gibson” Leon by name. Once again, Lester proved to the world he could express his real self through his picturesque art work. His journalism skills has now come to the open as he satisfies his itch of making out pictures from just the scribbles of his pencil or pen. Possessing a talent like being able to draw and illustrate or even paint is a gift not everyone in this world has—it’s a rare gift.
          Lexa Elaine on the other hand proved to herself her skill in sculpting people by use of her adjectives and character descriptions. She gets the part of making descriptions of the cast due to her ability of writing articles and stories with characters she usually makes out of her imagination she originally learned from her journalism activities, seminars and workshops. With these skills she possesses, she readily could characterize casts if she has her mood in the right  situation.

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Mystery of Life: A Journey In Time

 Saturday, January 13, 2007
In front of the computer
11:42 PM

    As the cliché goes, “Life is Inevitable.” The fact that human life emerged billion of years ago is a blessing we modern human beings should thank the Lord our God for. Without Him, we may not have been born as we are today. The oceans, the seas, the land, and the air—we all attribute to the Lord our God. The first creatures—the fish, the other animals, the plants, the trees, the birds, and all other creatures are the reasons why we exist in the first place. Man in the first place were said to be the stewards of the other creations of the Father.
    True as it may be, human beings now are forgetting the fact that they are stewards of Mother Earth. The mere fact that we are stewards of  all the other creations should make us realize that we should take care of the environment for each and everyone to be able to benefit from our actions. Our moral decisions are very much important for the benefit of the many. However, human activities are now destroying what we call the natural habitat of animals--- the environment. The destruction of the environment due to human activities would endanger its constituents. We therefore should have a good understanding and thus reflect on life back to the beginning…
    A trek to the Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary with my fellow classmates and our Religion Instructor Sir Gil Reoma, made me realize many things I never have realized before. The trek up to the forest-like sanctuary fully opened my eyes on the life humans are living now. The blowing breezes and the fresh air with its picturesque picnic grounds and creative structures helped me realize the real meaning of living on Earth. Being a tiny speck in the Milky Way, humans could still be rationable as to how they live their lives without hurting others. Having been shown the animals such as dinosaurs and monkeys and fishes, I came to realize that humans are not only the care-takers of creation but also connected with other creatures. Family and love characteristics came from the monkeys. As such we are also. The fishes helped the first men to survive. The dinosaurs were believed to have some qualities the human person also has.
    The interconnectedness of human life and other creations would be a principle people nowadays should be aware of. The people of today should take care of the environment because animals may be left homeless. We should live our lives in a way that both humans and environmental constituents would benefit from each other. Humans should be aware of the consequences of their actions. Their mere decision-making would have a big effect on the environmental status. Human activities should be directed to the preservation of environment and natural resources so as to avoid the full speed irreparable disaster of the environment. In addition, humans should live their lives as responsible stewards of the Earth sustaining life, protecting, preserving, and renewing the natural resources of the world. Humans should give respect to these creations as they were also created like one.
      Helping the environment grow and bloom is accepting the fact that we are one with nature. We therefore should learn to conserve and respect our resources. The bottom line is the relationship with nature and human life may be traced back to the early times. We should now be able to respect life and nature for in our journey through time we might be able to solve the mystery of human life…

Life: A Dream Come True

Sunday, November 26, 2006
In the balcony
2:38 PM

       It was a bright sunny Sunday full of worship and praises when I started browsing my notes in preparation for the preliminary examinations for the week after next. The sun was shining brightly, but the cold of the December winds lashed against my face as I went out for a little glimpse of the outside world beyond the four walls of the apartment I was staying in. I was overwhelmed by the sight of green lush trees of the mountains of La Trinidad, Benguet—they were far to the horizon yet I could feel the coolness of their shade and the freshness of the breezes blowing against the mountainsides.
       I was inspired then to take out my notes and study outside with the picturesque view of the new morning landscape before me. I had started with my Biochemistry subject. I found I wasn’t bored as I browsed the thick handouts with words and numbers I couldn’t even start to understand. The sight before me was encouraging enough to keep me awake and alert for the review session I was doing. It took me an hour to study the subject. On and on, I had been studying. I kept turning the pages of our biochemistry textbook looking for explanations of a few computations I couldn’t solve.
       I turned another page and was surprised when the page turned out to be something else. The numbers and words were gone. I was staring at blank paper. Next thing I knew, I started jotting down notes that had nothing to do with biochemistry. I started looking back at the things I’ve done. I suddenly felt a little nostalgic. I started reminiscing about my family, relatives and friends. I kept staring at the page and then something I can’t believe happened. It felt like I was looking at a mirror.
     Here I was staring down at my own self. I was in school but it didn’t look like I’m in the classroom. It was more like looking at reflection of the past.  I was younger in the picture. I only realized it was me in high school when my best friend popped out of the picture. I saw my classmates and myself on the stage of our dear old high school, Sagada National High School. We then were getting ready for graduation. I remember that time. We had had a hectic schedule since the December of the past year and it was then March. We had been preparing for our songs and presentations and here came our final exams—the last exams we were to take in high school.
       There we were rehearsing our class song “I Believe I Can Fly” when our adviser, Sir Joseph called a halt for us to hear him out. He was about to announce the results of the examination. I was greatly surprised when he called out the top three in the whole senior year—valedictorian, salutatorian, and the first honorable mention. Daniel (a mathematics and 'technological' genius but he is not a nerd, doesn't even look like one, he's more of like... scholarly) was pinned as the first honorable mention. I then thought I wouldn’t be in the top three because I never got to beat him in quizzes.  Wilfredo (he's famously known as Biag) became our salutatorian (he was one of the mathematics geniuses in class  but also not a nerd, also scholarly and wiser than his years). I really didn't have any other choice but to feel admiration and respect for them and disappointment for myself. I knew I couldn't beat them since they have so much skills and talents and extra-curricular activities (this was then included in the computation of grades then) . I nearly fainted when the valedictorian was called. It sounded like a loud bang in my ears when my name was called. Wow!! Unbelievable!! I thought I never could make it to the top. I still could not imagine how close the points were. It was like the best days of my life just went 'POOF!' and then a strange feeling was crawling up my body. I couldn't believe what was happening then. it was like a dream come true-- a dream construed as another memory in time, another embellishment to the dreary pages of my 'book of life'. 
       So here I got to think about my college life. I never really thought about it but I found myself enrolling at Saint Louis University. I took up nursing. I never dreamed of taking up nursing. I dreamed of taking care of animals and being a pet enthusiast in the future. I dreamed of being able to help other pets through the services I could offer as a professional veterinarian. My decision changed during the summer before my junior year in high school as I saw my father, then battling cancer in his deathbed-- the pain, the despair, the hollowness in his soul, the surrender. It was more than I could bear. I once turned my back and rushed outside the hospital just to get away from the outburst of emotions emanating from his face and words. I saw my father die in my arms as my mother shed her incessant tears, the essence of grief running down twin springs of sorrow. I decided at that time to become a nurse. I knew I could not bring my father back through becoming one but then I thought I could bring back the memories and kindness of my father through helping other people live. At that point in time, I know my father and his memories was still alive in me. And he still is. From that point on, he had been helping me endure everything in life-- the remaining days of my high school life and the whole of my college life up until now.
       My first year in college was the best. I could never ask more of it. The friends, the instructors, the atmosphere, it was more than I could ask for. They were all great despite the dreaded quota after our sophomore year.
       Our sophomore year was very hectic and pressuring due to competition and the thought of passing that dreaded quota. Grades turned out to be fatal. Projects turned out to be a mess and the worst of the lot, our physics subject never gave us the chance to study other subjects. For goodness sake, our grades turned out to be just passing throughout the school year.
       The school year rapidly ended as we waited for our names in the list of those who shall get a chance to continue their studies at SLU. I was so nervous that I clung to a friend for support as we approached the bulletin board. I first took a detour to the comfort room to first wash up and calm my self. I was just about to step out of the CR when my friend came crashing in. she would have bumped into the concrete wall if I hadn’t held her still. Even with me holding her, she was jumping up and down. I already knew she had a glance at the list. She looked as if she was an angel when she gave me the news. I just stood there like a post when she added I was in the list too. Oh my God, I thought. Once again a dream came true. I could now be the nurse I always dreamed of becoming. I was still rooted to the spot there in the doorway of the CR when someone called out, “Excuse me. mensese-at ka sinan daan (Excuse me. You’re blocking the way).”  It was a faraway voice. Seems like it was from a dream I was in. It was a familiar voice and I heard it call again.
       Then and there did I get back to reality. I was there in our balcony, staring at the first page of my biochemistry textbook. I glanced at where the voice came from. It was my sister home from class practice. Gosh! Had I been dreaming that long? It was already 10 o’clock in the morning and I started browsing my notes at 9:30 today. Whew! What a way to start the day!

Strangers Turned Family

Friday, March 03, 2006
Gonzaga 3rd Floor
2:30-3:30 PM

                 March 18, 2006—the day I was afraid would come so soon… This is the day I’ve dreaded for almost a month since I learned the class would go their separate ways by the end of the year. No one knows where. Not even one of us hoped we all would meet again—someplace, somewhere.
                This day was the last day of our final exams for the second semester and  the last day I would be with all my classmates. I’ve learned to love them for almost a year of hardship, friendship and togetherness. I’ve been with them through the good times and the bad. We all went through tough times trying to keep our grades high and having a good, pleasant attitude at the same time. We’ve been stressed, pressured and yet we stayed together.
                Eyes swollen, heads aching, body fatigued, we still never gave up hope of being one of the top 500 performers in the College of Nursing Department of the school we are attending. This is most famously called the “quota”.
                Going to school without eating breakfast just so as not to be late for our 7:30 class; being at the library (I prefer the pond) during lunch to review for quizzes in Anatomy-Physiology; going straight home after class in the afternoon to review for other subjects (microbiology most especially); staying up till the wee hours of the morning to study, finish projects and other schoolwork; all these we’ve been through. Depressions, stress, sleeplessness—all these we’ve encountered, experienced but never have we given up. Grades fail, tardiness accumulated, class cards dropped— we still strived to make it up and cope up with our classes.
                Despite the fact that the bond between each of us was broken apart by our cultures and the provinces that we came from, we stood united, strong… our friendship grew as time went by. Until one day, the bond between us was strengthened. We learned to trust, love and fight for one another— we became one.
                The camaraderie blossomed to a new found friendship to the extent that we treated each other as family. A family we knew could help each other in times of need, friends we knew could give us everything we need, comrades we knew could offer a shoulder to cry on… the jokes, laughter, smiles, memories over time led to a more open-minded, open-hearted, enjoyable class.
                The class was even admired by our instructors for being brilliant and creative (thanks for the geniuses in class). We enjoyed, joked, with our instructors about class, the lessons, sometimes about things out of the topic.
               That was how we were for months during the first semester and second semester of the school year.
                  Time came when we had to part for the summer vacation and the start of the first semester of our sophomore year in college. Now everyone hoped and wished we could still be classmates though the chances are too small. We had nothing to do but to accept the truth that we are to be disarranged next semester from our original block. Yet, hoping we still could maintain that bond between us, we got each others phone numbers, email addresses, social networking sites (we even made a CD, more of like a  small yearbook, with each of the class members' pictures and information) in order for us to be able to communicate despite the distance and time constraints we’ll be having.
                March 18 had been a memory of pictures being taken, tears being shed, lives being changed, friendships being renewed. The day BSN I-block 7 of Saint Louis University started to realize the real meaning of being a college student with friends to cherish, memories to treasure and principles in life to uphold.
                To the loving and caring BSN 1-7 of SLU: “We were strangers when we first met, but then we all found friends and our friendship will never ever end…..”
                                               - from the song, “we’ll still be friends”-

Life in School: An Adventure

           Monday, December 13, 2005
In my bedroom
06:53 AM

            The wind softly blew, the birds chirped, the sun shone brightly as I traveled the path way to a mountain with lush, green trees. I was on my own and looking for what I knew as an adventure to relax my thoughts and body from the pressure school gives. Many times I’ve looked back to where I came from. Many times I sat down and while reviving the energy left in me, I thought of turning back. Yet, I went on. I trudged the long, winding path once more knowing not where to go.
            Yes, I didn’t know where to go…. I was just looking for an exciting adventure on my own. I never knew the place and I’ve never been there, yet I gathered all the courage I had inside me just to head on with no turning back. The first hour of my adventure was so exciting since I was like one with nature, hearing the birds chirp, which I never hear when I’m in school, feeling the wind blowing in my face, and never seeing the sun shine brightly ever since I went to college. I never had the time to relax and think of home, which was so far away. At times, I would just stare at my notes and drift away from reality. Sometimes, I would just suddenly fall in a deep sleep sitting down as if I had not slept for days. There were even times when all I could do was to watch movies or television series like “Encantadia”, “Darna”, or the most loved teleserye ng totoong buhay, “Pinoy Big Brother” without bothering to take a peek on my notes for the quiz next day.
            Well, what could I say? My classmates are real geniuses. I know that. They are already touching the heavens while I’m still finding ways to even reach the stars. So what? No matter how much effort I put on reviewing my notes if my mind’s capacity could not put on more information, I really could not memorize or recall all the things I study. Sometimes, I just ask the Lord’s guidance and blessing so I could recall what I have been studying. I pray every night just to help me cope up with my studies and I’m thankful to Him since nakaraos naman ako kahit papaano sa first semester. Up to now, I’m not that bad but still I couldn’t reach my classmates. I know I have the skill, the talent, the intelligence yet I don’t know how to use them or develop them even more. However, I never forgot the saying, “If others can, why can’t I?” so I continue reaching for the stars and fulfilling my dreams.
            I really do want to learn yet, whenever I sit down to concentrate in studying, I get to daydream instead. If not, I get to sleep. I do my best to study yet nothing of what I study enters my mind though I still continue the review till late in the evening. I even get up at four in the morning just to refresh my mind on last night’s review period but time runs fast. I only read two pages of my notes and Mr. Sun already peeks at my window and smiles the brightest smile he ever made. Yet, I smirk at him. Sometimes I even think he could be laughing at me. Here comes the big day. I get nervous and tensed since I don’t know what I could answer to the questions. So I either get a low score or get a high score if I was able to recall what I had studied.
            All the memories of the past semester swiftly entered my mind as I continued trudging up hill. My thoughts set on what I could find at the end of the path. My thoughts were set to the future. My thoughts free from being worried for school activities or assignments whatsoever. I left those thoughts behind me. I want to relax and have fun with this adventure. Well, so here I am. In the mountains. Alone. Yeah, big deal. So what? I just kept walking and feeling the earth beneath my feet. Oh how nice it is to be strolling and adventuring… nah… just keep on going… I suddenly got thirsty yet  I emptied my canteen the last time I sat down to rest. I walked on hoping to find some well somewhere if there was. Luckily, I found one nearby. Wow, the water felt cold on my throat as I scooped water from the well and drank from my hands. I never tasted water this good when I went to college. Water in the city was tasteless. And chlorinated. Ughh… I filled my canteen and continued my journey. I walked and walked and walked till my feet were tired to death yet I couldn’t find a way out of that adventure in the mountains.
            I looked around me and all I saw were trees. Huge, towering trees. I felt tiredness overcome me so I sat down under an old tree with its leaves dangling from its top. Whew!!! I was exhausted. I realized I was dropping off. But I let sleep overcome me. I really was so tired I wanted to go home to my soft comfy bed with my teddy bear to hug and a blanket to keep me warm. But I was in the mountains so I made do with the warmth of nature.
            I was in a deep sleep when I heard the sound of jeepneys passing by. I opened my eyes and must be dreaming. Where in the mountains could you find cars or buses?! I suddenly was brought to reality when a jeepney blew his horn so loud that I looked at the direction where it came from. 

            SCREEEEECHHHH…….. I came face to face with the hood of a jeep….. 

           Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh…… I realized I was on my way to school and was crossing the street to the other side of the road. I was left unconscious… 

            I woke up suddenly and realized I had been dreaming. I looked at the clock. Oh no! It was 7 o’clock in the morning. I am so late for my 7:30 class since I had to travel six kilometers by jeep dodging traffic which makes my head ache. Bahala na, I thought.
            Wow… So here I am suddenly awake and into reality once more. I realized I was in my bedroom, supposedly reviewing my notes (while taking a break from time to time to write this manuscript) for tomorrow's preliminary examination in Anatomy-physiology, a big heavy book on my lap with Tortora’s name (that’s one of the authors of our Anatomy and Physiology textbook) staring up at me… Whew! I thought that dream was real.
             This is my life as a nursing student at Saint Louis University. Pressured as always. Tensed… nervous…. Tiring…. Let me correct that.. I meant exhausting…. Gosh, if only you could see me at school. Eyes drooping from sleep, limbs weakening from lack of sleep, body aching from head to toe. This is my life… Unfair but well, I had been through more difficult times. I had been trained never to give up when it calls for my improvement.  I could make it. Though not as high as reaching the sky but high enough to reach for my dream and my future…